


Insufficient Personalities

by owlpockets



Category: Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 02:54:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8127644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlpockets/pseuds/owlpockets
Summary: A collection of silly ficlets about the Shades of Magic characters and cats.





	1. Feral

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to [narie](http://archiveofourown.org/users/narie/) for brainstorming these with me. We also had a bit about Holland being adopted by a little family of wolverines, but that's probably a tale for another day.

Kell did not like cats. At least, not the usual way humans felt affection for small fluffy animals. The fact that he started sneezing and his eyes started itching if he was around one too long did not help. Their independence and uncanny ability to go where they pleased he could certainly appreciate, but that was the extent of his interest. Kell had reached a grudging acceptance, however, that cats were fond of him. On occasion, one of London’s feral cats would seek temporary companionship as his side when he was alone, trailing a few steps behind as he moved around the city.

When they were small, Rhy would derive great enjoyment from dragging a rotating cast of plump kittens up from the kitchens and handing one of them to Kell. Despite how tedious Kell found this game, he put up with it because his brother thought his reactions endlessly amusing. He would frown and scrunch his nose and try to keep the kittens from venturing onto his shoulders. Rhy had no reservations about letting the small creatures do as they pleased to him. Despite their opposing approaches to the handling of kittens, both boys would end up equally covered in tufts of fur and the queen would tut, but do little to discourage them.

The creature staring at him now was not a kitten, and not particularly endearing with its broken tail and scarred nose. It let out a low yowl, shifting into a defensive crouch. Kell took a step to the side, allowing the cat a clear path if it felt inclined to escape. After a tense moment, the cat relaxed, but watched him with wary eyes while flicking its ears back and forth at the sounds of the city around them. 

“Well, I’ll be on my way,” Kell told the cat, aware of how strange it must seem to speak out loud to the animal, but the situation seemed to warrant some kind of apology. Clearly, their territories overlapped and he did not want to incite conflict. Kell continued along the narrow street toward the Ruby Fields, stuffing his hands in his pockets against the chill breeze.

With the tavern door in sight, Kell heard a questioning _mrrp_ behind him and he turned to see that the cat had followed, tail raised and flicking stiffly to one side. Kell frowned and faced the cat to ask, “What do you want?”

They stared at each other until the cat broke away and swirled around his ankles, depositing long winter hairs around the hem of his coat. “Are you hungry?” Kell asked, reluctant to further involve himself with this manipulative beast. But he felt pity for the hard life it must endure out in the cold, begging scraps from indifferent or outright hostile strangers when game was scarce.

The cat made a woeful noise, staring up at him with wide eyes. Kell knew he would cave long before the words left his mouth. “Come on. If you’re willing to work for your meals, Fauna might oblige.”


	2. Breakfast

Rhy tried to will his anxiously fluttering heart to calm, logically certain that Alucard would be just down the hall at a late breakfast, and yet irrationally uneasy about waking up alone. He slowed his steps to approach the open door, relived by the smell of freshly baked rolls and the subtle rustle of papers drifting through. 

A pair of furry ears poked up the edge of the table, followed by the wide lavender eyes and blush nose of Alucard’s cat. She was crouched on the chair, peeking up to see what fresh devils might be invading her space. The sight of a familiar face brought her hopping onto the table to preen. Alucard himself was also seated at the small table, affecting an effortless lounging posture despite the rigid back of the chair.

“Good morning,” Rhy greeted with a drowsy, relieved smile. He rubbed at his eyes with both index fingers, wishing he had slept just a little bit longer. They had been red-rimmed when he rushed a glance in the mirror to make sure his hair was in a fit state to be seen at breakfast.

“Good afternoon, actually,” Alucard chuckled. He set aside his stack of papers as Rhy joined him at the table, nudging a plate of orange slices towards him. Esa climbed down on his lap, looking for affection. Quietly, Alucard added, “I didn’t think I kept you up _that_ late…but here we are.”

Rhy bit his lower lip to keep from responding with an undignified noise; the guard at the door was already staring at the cat at the table with poorly masked distaste. “You are such a scoundr—“ Rhy interrupted himself with a mild sneeze.

And Rhy sneezed again, violently. Esa startled and darted under the table, her long tail nearly knocking over a cup as it snapped out like a whip in her wake. “Oh no.”

“What?” Alucard looked mildly alarmed as he watched Rhy’s eyes tearing up with no obvious explanation. “Are you alright?”

“Kell becomes ill in proximity to cats.”

Alucard opened his mouth as if to reply, and then paused and changed his mind, brows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“And now, apparently, I do as well,” Rhy added miserably, gesturing to the hidden mark on his chest.

“I see. And here I was thinking that growl earlier was because he’d lost his aptitude for human speech.” Alucard captured Esa and deposited her across the room on a plush chair, where she stayed, content to hunker down in a little patch of sunlight.

“Don’t be cruel, he’s had a rough…” Rhy stifled another sneeze, “…year. Ugh.”

Alucard replied with a noncommittal hum and rejoined Rhy at the table, though he didn’t sit down. “Breakfast is boring, I have a better idea.” He toyed with the edge of Rhy’s sleeve and a pleasant shiver ran over the prince’s skin.

“Is that so?” Rhy was trying for coy, but he didn’t think it was working terribly well through the puffy eyes and runny nose.

“If I remember correctly, there are some very nice baths somewhere in here.” 

When Alucard offered a hand, Rhy took it, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “A most excellent idea,” he agreed. Rhy rose to follow, grabbing a couple of rolls from the table on the way out.


End file.
